The ode-hunting off-season is used by the author for experimenting with new photography gear and techniques, studio photography (mostly odonate exuviae), and researching/exploring sites for finding new species of dragonflies and damselflies, especially rare to uncommon species.
During Winter 2017-2018, Google Earth/Maps was used to virtually explore potential sites for Sable Clubtail dragonfly (Stenogomphurus rogersi). A location where Sable Clubtail had been spotted by Kevin Munroe, former manager of Huntley Meadows Park, was rejected as practically inaccessible.
I recalled seeing Sable Clubtail on a species list for one of several sites surveyed regularly by a group of volunteers coordinated by Jim Waggener, in association with the Audubon Society. I contacted Jim and asked for information regarding sightings of S. rogersi by the survey group. Jim sent an e-mail to all members of the group; Bob Blakney kindly responded by sending a photograph and guidance for finding the location where his photo was taken on 08 June 2012.
As it turns out, only one Sable Clubtail was seen by the survey group in 2012 and that was the last sighting of the species for the next six years. I speculate the gap in sightings might be explained by the fact that scheduled dates for site surveys by Jim Waggener’s group didn’t coincide with the limited adult flight period for Sable.
I scouted the site for the first time on 01 December 2017. Fred Siskind kindly provided guidance that helped to focus the search area. I started actively hunting for Sable Clubtails beginning in mid-May 2018. 04 June 2018 was my last fruitless search. The off-season homework paid dividends for the first time on 08 June 2018.
Eureka!
Several Sable Clubtail dragonflies were spotted perched alongside a small forest stream located in Fairfax County, Virginia USA.
08 JUN 2018 | Fairfax County, VA | Sable Clubtail (male)
All of the individuals featured in this post are male, as indicated by their “indented” hind wings and terminal appendages.
08 JUN 2018 | Fairfax County, VA | Sable Clubtail (male)
08 JUN 2018 | Fairfax County, VA | Sable Clubtail (male)
Rare to uncommon
Sable Clubtail has a limited range and is classified as a rare to uncommon species of odonate. The following map shows all official records for Sable Clubtail in the United States of America.
DSA Distribution Viewer | Sable Clubtail
Source Credit: Abbott, J.C. 2006-2018. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the distribution and identification of Odonata. Available at http://www.odonatacentral.org. (Accessed: June 11, 2018).
Key: blue dots = Dot Map Project; green dots = Accepted records; yellow dots = Pending records.
Copyright © 2018 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: Family Gomphidae (Clubtails), Hotspot No. 1, male, Sable Clubtail dragonfly, Stenogomphurus rogersi, terminal appendages
walter sanford's photoblog 
June 24, 2018 at 8:08 am |
Nice report, Walter.
June 24, 2018 at 2:04 pm |
Very nice! And interesting information!
July 30, 2018 at 4:02 am |
[…] an undisclosed location in Prince William County, Virginia USA, were lost in the excitement of my rediscovery of Sable Clubtail dragonfly (Stenogomphurus rogersi) later the same day in Fairfax County, […]
October 16, 2018 at 11:41 am |
[…] photographs in this gallery were lost in the excitement of my rediscovery of Sable Clubtail in Fairfax County, Virginia USA, when I rushed to select and publish a few representative photos from the set taken on 08 June […]
January 2, 2019 at 4:02 am |
[…] 08 JUN 2018 | Fairfax County, VA | Sable Clubtail (male) […]
June 13, 2023 at 6:38 am |
[…] Sable Clubtails are rarein our area. Fellow dragonfly enthusiast Walter Sanford did extensive research and rediscovered this species in 2018 and I have been fortunate to see a Sable Clubtail at this stream in most years since then. If you are interested in the backstory of Walter’s efforts, check out his June 2018 blog posting entitled Off-season homework pays dividends. […]